A QUESTION ON using DUPLICATORS and other things!

[TONYC53]

HI AGAIN,

I must truly say that you folks have been a great help in all your answers and such, even though I'm still not too clear on my "lathe parts lingo" but I guess this will all come to me in time.

Now, here's that queston while I await the arrival of my "FREE" DVD from PSI and the other one from Bill Baumbeck. I would like to know if I'm reading this right.

I'm getting the impression that, from the forums that I’ve looked at and some websites that no ‘self-respecting’ pen crafter would be caught dead duplicating pens, I’m I right on this?

Now, I can appreciate all the reasons about the “individualism†of each pen with none being exactly the same but where does that leave me, since I was thinking of turning that “perfect†comfort pen?

Does that mean if I learn to turn free hand, I’d be all the better? And what about practice turnings, I’m figuring on turning scrap pieces of wood just to get the hang of things instead of messing up a beautiful blank. I’m I headed in the right direction? 😕

 

[john lucas]

Tony I don't turn many pens but I turn a lot of Christmas ornaments and Handmirror handles. After you turn a few dozen you can get pretty darn close to duplicating every one. A good clean cut with a skew or gouge beats the cut you can get with a duplicator. Far less sanding. Actually on small items like my christmas ornaments if you start sanding with anything lower than about 180 you risk changing the shape.

 

[Claude]

HI AGAIN,

.... And what about practice turnings, I’m figuring on turning scrap pieces of wood just to get the hang of things instead of messing up a beautiful blank. I’m I headed in the right direction? 😕

Practice, do practice and practice again. That is the name of the game. And sure, turning scrap pieces of wood, (if you can choose the type of wood) is sure a very goo exercice.

I would sure not go through the purchase of a duplicator, specially for pens where the shapes are not that difficult to turn (after the first dosen) but the finish is always time taking. 😉

 

[hcbph]

Tony

I think alot depends on what you are doing. I have a duplicator and I use it to duplicate furniture parts for repair/restoration work. A duplicator helps rough it out the exact same shape, which makes the customer happy. I can then followup with chisels and clean them up. I can save literally hours by roughing out with the duplicator, and I can use it to get very close to final cut that way. I can be literally 5% of the time once a pattern is available.

Paul

 

[TONYC53]

THANKS GUYS,

Here's an additional reason why I asked that question. Since I have NO experience in turning at all, I was figuring that with a duplicator, I would be able to cut those more difficult contour/profile pieces/pens.

But I guess I have to exercise patience and learn the basics. However, trust me, if my learning curve is too slow…Look Out, a duplicator would be on my wish list!!!😀 :cool2:

 

[drjcbarton]

Hi Tony,

I have a duplicator and use it rarely. When a duplicator is handy is like for turning Chess pieces or finials for furniture; it got to be for a lot of pieces that need to match very nearly perfectly. As an earlier post said, even then it requires a deft hand and good sharp tools to take the roughed out duplicator form to final finish. I turn a fair amount of pens and can turn a pen much more rapidly with a skew than I can with a duplicator. Instead of spending about $100 for a duplicator spend half as much on a lesson from one of your local craft stores on turning. Turn as much as you can, get lots of practice. Buy a few good DVD/tapes on turning: Del Stubbs bowl turning and Nick Cook's turning DVD for Jet are excellent examples, not to mention anything by Richard Raffin.